Had the New Orleans Saints won on Sunday, crowd control outside the Hotel Monteleone on Monday (Oct. 31) morning would’ve been more of an issue. As it was, only a few obvious overnight-partying stragglers were witnessed on surrounding streets as HBO’s “Treme” began shooting its third season with a scene set inside the hotel’s Carousel Bar.

HBO'Treme.'

Bright lights were focused into the bar through its Royal Street windows. A crewmember cued someone to energize the lounge’s famous rotating bar before every take. Marvin Allen – official title: Carousel Bar Head Mixologist -- was in position pouring drinks for actors playing customers.

That’s the scene-setting color. Now for the news:

“Treme” will add at least two new characters to its storylines for season three.

Sam Robards (“Gossip Girl,” “The West Wing”) will portray a restaurant investor, and Chris Coy (“True Blood,” “Justified”) will play a character based in part on reporter A.C. Thompson, said series co-creator David Simon.

Thompson, of the nonprofit ProPublica news organization, teamed with “Frontline” and the Times-Picayune staff for an August 2010 episode of the PBS newsmagazine. Subtitled “Law & Disorder,” the episode explored New Orleans Police Department misdeeds during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina levee-failure flooding.

Simon said Thompson has been used as a consultant for season.

Also consulting for season three is Karen Gadbois, whose blog www.SquanderedHeritage.com unearthed scandal at the New Orleans Affordable Housing Corp. Gadbois is cofounder of The Lens, a nonprofit news outlet affiliated with New Orleans Fox station WVUE-TV.

George Pelecanos, a novelist turned TV writer and a veteran of the show’s writing staff for both of its first two seasons, will have increased executive-producer responsibilities in season three, the 10 episodes of which are expected to air starting in the spring.

Focused on New Orleans’ post-storm recovery, the music-drenched drama’s first season launched its story in late 2005. Season two drew on the events of early 2006 through mid-2007. Season three will advance the storyline by another year.

Simon also confirmed that he, co-creator Eric Overmyer and Pelecanos have plotted stories to take the show’s characters through four seasons. Simon added that he’s delivered that decision to HBO via memo, and intends to speak with network executives about the decision in person as soon as possible.

Local viewers have been imagining a five-season arc for the series, the timeline for which would takes its characters through the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl victory, Mitch Landrieu’s mayoral election and the BP oil disaster.

Simon had said early in the series’ life that he pictured a four- or five-season run. In an interview after season two, he said he and his writers would spend part of their summer doing the finale math.

"What we have to figure out is, is three-and-out right?" he said then. "Is four-and-out right? What should we plan for? How would this work? What is the best storytelling? And then we'll take that to HBO. Ideally, they'll make a decision on the merits, and we'll talk to them about that.”

Of course, that wish is entirely HBO’s to grant. Given the show’s modest ratings, renewal for the upcoming third season was a surprise to many TV-industry observers.

Then again, HBO plays a different game than most other entities in the TV industry. In a summertime interview, Richard Plepler, the network’s co-president, essentially said “Treme’s” lifespan would be up to Simon and his team.

"Here's what we have said to David," Plepler said then. "We want David to finish his novel. He's writing a novel (with 'Treme'). We, as beneficiaries of his art, want him to finish the completion of his artistic expression.

"When he tells us he's finished with his artistic expression of this, that's when we're done, and then we'll turn to him and say, 'What's next?'"

In other “Treme” news:

In concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Steve Earle debuted a new song titled “Is That All You Got?” that he said is slated to be used in season three.

Whole sections of the hour-long episodes are given over to club gigs, street busking, studio sessions and jamming of various kinds. Music isn’t used as aural wallpaper or scene setting; it is the end not the means. David Simon has always been uncompromising in his pursuit of authentic experience on the small screen, and Treme is no different. American popular culture began in New Orleans and music is at the heart of what the city is about, he is saying.

And, finally, “Red Bull Street Kings.”

It’s airing on a network available locally only via dish, but it’s worth seeking out if you’re a fan of the music celebrated on “Treme.” It airs at 7 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 3) on The Documentary Channel, carried by DirecTV (channel 267) and Dish (197).

Built around an October 2010 concert-competition featuring four local brass bands – Free Agents, Stooges, To Be Continued, Soul Rebels – the hour-long film also dips into the city’s musical history and culture. Glen David Andrews figures prominently.

Red Bull’s promo clip:

Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at nola.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.